


“I didn’t know you could dance like that!”

by courageous_boss



Series: Three Birds and a Baby (a Batfamily AU) [9]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 13:49:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17788568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/courageous_boss/pseuds/courageous_boss
Summary: Valentine's day in the Wayne Manor. Or, Bruce and all of his boys.





	“I didn’t know you could dance like that!”

**Author's Note:**

> Ages:  
> Dick – 14  
> Damian – 3  
> Tim – 6  
> Jason – 18

The sun cropped up, greeting a particularly disgruntled Bruce Wayne. He scowled at the tiny sliver in the curtains and the bright line of light passing into his room. He threw an arm over his eyes, groaning. His shoulders protested, still sore from when he’d caught himself from skidding off a roof last night.

It was a few minutes of drifting in and out of consciousness before a soft, clumsy knocking started up on his door.

Putting on a brave face, Bruce mustered up his most pleasant tone and said, “The door’s open.”

The door pushed open and Bruce’s gaze dropped to meet his tiny three-year-old. Damian scowled at him for a second, arms crossed unhappily over his chest and his small feet scuffing against the mahogany floors.

“Baba,” Damian said, very seriously.

Bruce smirked, more amused than he should be. His kid was just too cute. “Damian.”

Damian pouted, toddling into the room on confident but unsteady steps, clawing his way up the side of the bed. He snuggled against Bruce’s side, sighing contentedly when Bruce wrapped him in a hug.

“Baba, it’s balan’ ‘tine’s day,” Damian grouched, cuddling closer into Bruce’s warm chest.

Bruce tucked him under the blankets, lips picking up in a smile. “Valentine’s day, you mean?”

“What I said,” Damian replied, again, very seriously.

Bruce laughed, chest light, stomach warm and heart happy. “Well, then. Happy Valentine’s day, my sweetest boy.”

Damian squeaked, blushing and preening under the attention. “To you too, Baba.”

“Is that why you’re here? To say that?” Bruce asked, curious. Normally, Dick would be the first up. He’d creep into Damian's room and curl up in his cot like an overgrown kitten until Damian woke up. Then, the two would run around the halls making mischief and noise until Alfred, Bruce and Jason could peel themselves from the comfort of their beds.

“Supposed to keep you in bed,” Damian said, eyes fluttering closed. His dark eyelashes fell softly against his soft, chubby cheeks for a few moments until he blinked them open.

“Really?” Bruce asked, detective skills pinging. He hadn’t noticed any strange behavior from anyone in the Manor before. Instead of scolding himself for his obvious negligence, Bruce settled against the pillows. It was nice to be at the receiving end of surprises once in a while. He just hoped that Alfred was involved for supervision sake.

Damian just hummed in agreement, still sleepy. Bruce rubbed his back gently until he drifted back to sleep, then he let his thoughts wander. He’d planned to spend Valentine’s day with Selina. There’d been flowers ordered, reservations made, and he’d even bought her an elegant, gold anklet. But, she’d made her feelings about him clear and Bruce had resigned himself to spending Valentine’s day alone.

It seemed like his kids hadn’t gotten the memo.

There was busy movement at the door, immediately pulling Bruce’s attention.

“Good morning, B,” Jason said, a smile on his face and a boune in his step. Which was strange. Considering the teenager was notoriously bad at getting out of bed before nine.

 “Good morning, Jason,” Bruce said.

Still dressed in his soft, cotton pajamas, Jason climbed into bed, careful not to jostle Damian's curled up form too much. “First, Happy Valentine’s Day. Second, this was all Dick’s idea so put a smile on your face and enjoy it and _never_ use this against me. You know how Dick gets when he puts his mind to something.”

Bruce reached over to jokingly ruffle Jason’s hair, chuckling when Jason blushed and grumpily began neatening it. “Alright, I won’t ask Alfred for the pictures of you if you don’t ask him for the pictures of me. Deal?”

Jason managed to get out, “Deal,” before Dick tumbled into the room.

Literally tumbled. He moved into a cartwheel, followed by a handstand, followed by a bridge and then another cartwheel. When he finally stopped, his cheeks were flushed, and he was taking deep breaths.

His grin was executant and Bruce could feel the excitement thrumming off him. “Happy Valentine’s Day, B!”

Bruce smiled, chest full of hurt and pleasure. He loved his boys so much and he knew that he’d never done anything worthy enough to deserve them. It was easier than he’d expected to set a smile on his face, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Dick.”

Of course, Damian woke, seemingly able to sense the minute Dick Grayson was in the same room as him. He wriggled free of Bruce’s grip and catapulted towards Dick. Brue was too used to such behavior to even react before Dick caught him and hugged him to his chest.

“Alfred had breakfast waiting downstairs. Then, we’re going to get Tim and we’ll all go to the zoo.”

“Elephants, Baba!” Damian cheered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he laid his head against Dick’s shoulder.

“Yeah, B. Dami’s never seen a real elephant before. I think Tim has but I can’t be sure. This is going to be so much fun!” Dick gushed.

Bruce felt pride seeping into his bones, looking at this child and all the progress he’d made. He could still remember the tiny, quivering boy who’d broken away from the Court with nowhere to go and no plans for a future. He could remember him unable to think of himself as human – unworthy of comfort and love. He could remember to daily panic attacks and the self-starvation. Most importantly, he could remember each decision Dick made towards his recovery and each valiant effort made to achieve it.

He was so proud of the boy who’d taught himself to love and was now, in turn, teaching all those around him.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, chum,” Bruce said. Then, to all his boys, just to make sure they knew, “I love you.”

 

* * *

 

It was easy enough to get Tim to themselves for the day. Tim cried when Dick and Damian hugged him and cheered Valentine’s day greetings, and then cried harder when Jason gave him a soft, careful noogie. Bruce rubbed his back until he calmed down and let Tim ride on his shoulders during their zoo outing.

Dick and Damian stuck together like Velcro, unable and unwilling to separate from one another. Jason played map reader, taking them through an overcomplicated path to see the elephants just to rile the younger ones up.

By the time they got home, they were all pleasantly exhausted and happier than they thought they could be.

Alfred settled them in the sitting room to wait for dinner. Bruce relaxed on the couch with a dozing Damian on his lap. Dick curled up on the love seat with Tim tucked unto his side. Jason was on the floor, scrolling through his phone.

But, Dick couldn’t sit still for long – even after walking for miles in the hot sun.

“Jay? Please, can you play a song on your phone?” Dick asked, voice sweet and eyes already in puppy dog mode.

Already heading into his music app, Jason asked, “Why?”

“To dance, duh,” Dick said, sliding from his chair in a very ridiculous manner. When the music started playing, he started slithering around on the ground like a snake.

Bruce looked on in horror when Jason snorted and asked, “What on earth are you doing?”

“It’s a dance,” Dick said, pausing from flopping around to turn his begging puppy dog eyes on poor Tim. “Timmy, come dance with me.”

Tim beamed in excitement, following Dick’s lead easily and soon, there were two boys slithering around on the carpet.

Bruce couldn’t help the belly laugh that rose out of him and from the corner of his gaze, he could see Jason recording his brother’s strange antics. With all of them here, happy and healthy, Bruce couldn’t imagine a more accurate description of love.

Then, there was a very British throat clearing and a scandalized, “My word!”

“We're dancing, Alfie!” Tim cheered.

“I didn't know you could dance like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a sucker for Bruce Wayne loving on his children. In this AU, Bruce has had to work especially hard on expressing his emotions - considering he was raising a traumatized would-be-Talon child. So, he's more than able to tell his children that he loves them, and he tells them all the time.


End file.
